According to a notice to mariners that surfaced earlier today, SpaceX could fly Starship Flight 9 later this month. The previous Starship test flight flew in March, and since then, SpaceX has remained quiet about the next test except for a couple of updates. The firm tested the Super Heavy booster due to fly Flight 9 at the start of April and followed up with multiple tests of the second-stage rocket later in the month. Between the two, the second stage is the troublesome vehicle as it has failed on both its test flights.
SpaceX's Starship Flight 9 Could Fly Between May 13th and May 23rd, Shows Mariner Notice
Starship Flight 9 will be the third time SpaceX will attempt to fly its second-generation upper-stage rocket. The first two tests were both failures, and the upper stage exploded during the flights soon after it separated from the first stage. SpaceX had lined up several test objectives for the second stage, which included testing out catch hardware and new heat shield tiles.
The second generation upper stage rocket features several upgrades over its predecessor. These upgrades include a new propellant system and larger tanks. Its propellant system was at the heart of the Starship Flight 7 failure, with SpaceX explaining that vibrations in the propellant lines led to a fire in the engine bay and eventual engine shutdown.
Whether the system also led to Flight 8's failure is unclear as SpaceX is yet to provide any details about the latest Starship test mishap.
The tail end of April saw SpaceX run multiple tests on the upper stage Starship rocket. The first of these ended up testing the rocket's tanks, and the firm followed up with a static fire test of a single engine the next day. In a social media update after the test, SpaceX shared that it had tested an in-space engine burn. This burn is crucial for Starship's eventual orbital test flight certification since it enables SpaceX to control the rocket's trajectory in space and prevent an uncontrolled entry.
After the single-engine test, SpaceX tested all of the upper stage's engines. This test appeared to be less than perfect, as it ended with a flash of blue light and what appeared to be an engine anomaly. The test was longer than static fire tests typically are, indicating that SpaceX might have been eager to root out the reason behind Flight 8's failure and take corrective actions before the next test.
Since then, the upper stage that could fly on Flight 9 has been transported back to SpaceX's production facilities. At the same time, a notice to mariners indicates that Starship Flight 9 could occur between May 13th and May 23rd. If it bears fruit, then SpaceX could test the ship again soon after the apparently problematic static fire attempt last month.
SpaceX has to accelerate its test progress if it's to demonstrate in-space propellant transfer to NASA this year for the Artemis lunar landing missions and fly next-generation Starlink satellites on Starship.
A new Local Notice to Mariners has been released for Starship Flight 9, currently NET May 13th.
This notice supports a launch between May 13th and May 23rd. pic.twitter.com/VuQCW3jgCO
— Felix Space Time (@Space_Time3) May 5, 2025
About the author: Ramish is a seasoned technology writer and editor with more than a decade of experience. He specializes in semiconductor fabrication and market analysis. With a background in finance and supply chain management - via his bachelors in Finance and a micromasters in supply chain management from MIT - Ramish combines financial rigor with deep industry insight to deliver accurate and authoritative coverage.
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